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Indecisive

Do you ever have those times in your adult life when there’s a really important decision that has to be made, but it’s practically impossible to make the decision? Isn’t it even worse when all of your available options suck serious ass?

Here’s the thing. Derek and I have to move. We live in a tiny one bedroom apartment and while it’s do-able for now, it’s getting really cramped, really fast. I’d really like Ana to have her own room by the time she turns a year old.

I’m going to outline my options without saying where each one is (though if you know me really at all, you’ll know where the options are) and I want some opinions. Where do YOU think we should go?

Option A: Stay relatively close to where we are. We’ll be near Derek’s family. (This is a pro and a con.) Housing costs are through the roof. Ridiculously expensive. Traffic is a nightmare. Seriously overpopulated. Public healthcare is a very considerable pro. Especially with the wee one. Friends are an international border away which means nobody comes to visit me- it’s too much of a hassle. There’s no Target. Yes, that matters to me. Shut up. Derek has a good job already with a great company.

Option B: No jobs lined up. Economy is in the shitter and who knows if we can get a mortgage. Does credit even transfer across the border? We have to pay for healthcare now. We’ll be with our best friends. Better schools. No family nearby – which is also both a pro and a con. Housing is more affordable. In fact, we could even have some land and a real yard.

Option C: We’d be by my family – just a pro in my book. Derek has a job lined up if we go here. Lots of things to do. Housing is super cheap – like a 4400 sq foot house is $229,000. Brand new. Built to our specifications. I can’t stop thinking of this house. I dream about this house. Besides my parents, we’d know nobody. As with option B, who knows if we could even get a mortgage. Same as option B, we’d have no more free healthcare. Definitely not overpopulated- we’d have our space.

Rargh. I feel like we lose no matter which way we go. I know that we have to make the decision best for our family – the three of us – but I also know that people are going to be unhappy with us no matter what we pick. I hate this. And we have to decide soon so we can start planning the move. Hate. This.

Okay, so here’s the thing. For my own personal reasons, I would have you choose option B. But if I sit back and look at it objectively, I would say that for right now, with the way things are here… you just might want to stay there for a year. Things are bad here. Very bad. And although I know your parents would help you out in a heartbeat… Derek would need to get a job. And I just don’t know how fast that would happen. Then I would say that when things get better… Option C might be your best bet. Especially since you can’t stop dreaming about that house. But you’re definitely going to want to get away from where you are sooner or later.

My vote is C. I live two streets over from my parents and LOVE it! Also, you will meet people. They will wave to you as you are out walking the little one. You will make friends. Buy a slightly smaller house because 4400 square feet is TOO much to clean!! And it will take you forever to fill it with furniture. That is my vote. : )

My vote is with Option C although cheaper health care is SO helpful in a little one’s first year due to all the routine shots and checkups. I was on the Medical Card and thank goodness – because bills would have been outrageous otherwise.

I don’t even know really, because all the options sound half baked. They’re good but missing x, y, or z. Good luck with making your decisions.

Option C sounds like the best option although the no public health care would be a concern with a little one. If the new job would have health care available soon thuis may make it a better option. And you will meet new people. That usually happens once you have a baby any way. 🙂

Toni – I’m thinking a move to Australia would work best all around. Heh.

Megs – Hey, it’s good to know that you’re willing to say C even though you really want B. I don’t know. We’ll probably buy another place where we are and stay for a few more years. Ugh.

Jenny – Oh, yeah, we’d get a smaller house than the 4400 sq foot one, I’m just blown away by the price.

Erin – They pretty much are all half-baked. That’s why it feels like we lose no matter what we do. which makes it all suck.

Vegas – The healthcare and the state of the US economy are my big things right now. And hey, if McCain and Palin are voted into office (god forbid) my decision gets real easy and I just rest my ass in Canada.

If it were me, I would probably stay put for now because a job and public health care are huge right now. The state of our union is so precarious that I would hate to be in the position of no house, uncertain health insurance, and new job. Especially since you have a new (!) tiny one.

Here’s what I think: the economy where B and C are located is bunk right now, you should stay put for a year and then consider your C option when things look a little better. It’s an economic cycle – it’s bound to change soon and eventually it’ll be on the upswing. And if you buy a house there on the cheap, the upswing means your house will grow equity over time.